Sign Language: Time to deliver some cruel compassion, Scorpio

Although you have your introspective moments, you’re mostly a social creature. Luckily, everyone wants a piece of you this week, and by all means you should try to give it to them. Visit with everyone. Cram your schedule with pleasurable social activities and try to dole out quality time liberally. It’s nice to be so popular and loved, but things will only stay that way if you take the time to give the love and attention back to those who’d lavish it upon you. Vow to give better than you get and you won’t go wrong.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

You hate being a hardass. You avoid having to tell the harsh truth to people or make difficult, unpleasant decisions. This is one of the reasons you’re happy to leave someone else in charge and just do all the labor to make their ventures successful. Sometimes, however, you’re stuck doing this kind of dirty work, too, and must let someone know they’re being cut because of poor performance. “Why me?” you may wail, but you already know. It’s because you’re simultaneously kind and effective. You’ll get the job done, but in a much more compassionate way than anyone else would. You can’t shirk dishing out the “killing blow,” but at least you can make it as swift and painless as possible.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

Sometimes you may have to lie to get what you want. This isn’t one of them, though. In fact, any lie you tell right now is a million times more likely to backfire and ultimately drag you further from your dreams and goals. Unfailingly tell the unvarnished truth, even if it isn’t what you think people want to hear. You might be surprised. Even if you can’t bring yourself to spill the entire honest story, at least don’t embellish it with fabrications. Just stick to frank disclosure when you can, and simply shut up when you can’t.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

Although you have no problem being brutally honest with people when you must, you often find it expedient to mislead or misinform them instead, or at least let them carry on with their delusions. While bursting someone’s bubble can feel like an incredibly callous and cruel thing to do, sometimes you’re doing them a kindness – albeit one they’ll probably never thank you for. This kind of cruel compassion is actually one of your strengths. Exercise it this week. You won’t experience any gratitude for your efforts, but if you can steer people to paths more suitable for them (or harden their resolve so they might actually succeed at the goal they’re pursuing), that should be its own reward.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

Be picky. Spread before you is a magnificent buffet. However, if you try to take a little bit of everything, you’ll be stuffed before you’ve sampled half of it. You need to recognize the limitations you’re stuck with and pick and choose which things you’ll pick up to taste, and which you’ll have to regretfully pass by. Sure, you might accidentally miss out on something that looks horrible but tastes great, but that’s always a risk. Being choosy now will make you more likely to discover the flavors your soul is craving than being gluttonous ever could.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

Screw the office. Wherever you usually work is doing more to stifle you than make you productive. Do what you can to get out of that place this week. Luckily, if you’re creative and resourceful enough, you should be able to find a way to go someplace new, and probably get paid while you’re there. Now that you know this is probably an option, I can’t imagine why you wouldn’t pursue it. This is a win-win. You get a change of pace, and will consequently produce more and better work. All you have to do to make it happen is to convince someone else that that’s true.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

Just when you thought it was all over, one last chance rises from the ashes, phoenix-like. Ride it. You may be able to get the job, the lover, or the opportunity after all, just as you’d given up on it. It’s a slim possibility, but that’s more than you had yesterday. All you have to do is be ready to leap on it when it appears. Don’t give up yet! You still may have to let this dream go, but save that for next week. For now, get ready to grab at this thin thread of hope. It might be strong enough to climb all the way to the top. How cool would that be if you did?

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)

Relax! Why are you getting so tense about this? Oh, I get it. You have the feeling that you can actually control the outcome here, so you’re straining and stressing to have it go the way you want it to. I should be able to relieve you of that burden. Like so many other things, this, too, is out of your hands. That apparent influence and control you have is actually an illusion. There, isn’t that a relief? Be ready to do your best; beyond that you can just let it go. Now, go chill out.

Aries (March 21-April 19)

You’re probably foaming at the mouth for some of the big changes you see coming down the pike. It may feel like it’s taking forever for your new chapter to kick in, but it’ll be here before you know it. For now, instead of building up the new stuff inside your head, try to enjoy the old stuff while it’s still around. Even though you think you’re sick of it now, you’ll actually miss it once it’s gone forever. Since you know without a doubt that the next chapter will be kicking in soon, can you just slow down and savor the last few paragraphs of this one?

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

Who do you trust to be fair and compassionate, but willing to cut through the bullshit and tell you how it is? You desperately need someone like this in your life right now. Chances are, they won’t just step forward on their own and tell you what you need to hear. They need to be sincerely invited and encouraged to do so. Once you do that, you truly need to be cool with what they have to say, even if it’s not at all what you wanted to hear. My suggestion is to ask them, then really trust and heed them. That would lead to the best-case scenario. If you don’t think you can do that, then don’t bother asking them at all; it’s probably better you remain where you are a bit longer.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

Simplify, simplify, simplify. Trusting people to be able to wrap their heads around the big complicated ideas you’re juggling these days would be a mistake. You need to break things down for them, into bite-sized chunks, or else set yourself up for infuriating disappointment followed by frustrating failure. Don’t tell yourself that people ought to be able to handle what you can. That’s true, they should be able to hack it – only they can’t. Recognize that, so you can adapt to it, and make things work in spite of it. Until you’re able to let go of your ideas about what ought to be, and instead embrace what is, success will be entirely out of your reach.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

Let’s pretend you decided to produce, direct, and star in a theatrical production. You’d already decided which role you’d like for yourself. Since you’re calling the shots, the role’s yours if you want. However, someone else may come along this week who’s more qualified to step in and play that part, probably better than you could. Can you be generous and selfless enough – and devoted enough to the overall success of the venture – to step aside and let them have it? There’ll still be other parts you can play, and you can take solace in the fact that without you it wouldn’t happen at all. That’s the question of the week: Which will make you happier? Fulfilling your personal desires, or more fully realizing a bigger dream, albeit while playing a smaller part in it?